Lyft to offer ride-sharing service to Allscripts’ 7.2M patients
On the heels last week’s announcement of Uber’s healthcare-focused initiative, Lyft has agreed to partner with Allscripts to offer ride-sharing services to patients through physicians and hospitals.
The service, dubbed “Lyft Concierge” and unveiled at HIMSS18 in Las Vegas, will allow 45,000 physician practices, 180,000 physicians and 2,500 hospitals to request Lyft rides for patients, according to a news release. It will be available to all 7.2 million users of Allscripts electronic health records (EHR).
"Not having someone show up is costly for the physician and costly for patients because care is not delivered," said Paul Black, Allscripts CEO. "It's somewhat of literally the last mile, or the last lock of health care, getting the patient involved and making it easier for patients to get to appointments."
Non-medical-emergency transportation is a $3 billion market in the U.S., according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, which explains why ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft are pushing to become players in the space.
Nicholas joined TriMed in 2016 as the managing editor of the Chicago office. After receiving his master’s from Roosevelt University, he worked in various writing/editing roles for magazines ranging in topic from billiards to metallurgy. Currently on Chicago’s north side, Nicholas keeps busy by running, reading and talking to his two cats.